Willpower doesn't get as much from being IO'd out as other sets do. If you go with that brute, I'd focus on +recharge to speed up [Foot Stomp].
I have a Shield/SS tank. I often ride out the Rage crash with no ill effects. Note that I'm over the softcap, so the crash leaves me at 30% def, and I have high resists too. Three-slotting [Rage] with recharge IOs lets you fire it again just after it crashes. With 2-3 5% recharge set bonuses (which are easy to get), you can fire it just before it crashes. [Hasten] will allow you to double-stack it for at least 20-30 seconds, longer with enough set bonuses. Recasting [Rage] during the crash, or double stacking it, will remove the -def part of the crash, but not the -damage or -endurance.
I can't comment on Claws, since I have no experience with it, Scrapper or Brute. Super Reflexes is REALLY good - with sufficient IO investment. And it DOES have a taunt aura. The Brute version has taunt in [Evasion].
At current prices, you cannot softcap a WP on 500 million. I personally would go with the SS/SD, though with lower numbers, it will be more expensive to softcap than a tank is. Whichever you choose, make sure you are patient with your bids! Waiting a week can cut 50% or more off the cost of some high-end IOs, and with redside's prices, that's important.
@Roderick
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Claws/SR out the door and no looking back. |
Originally Posted by Ocasta
So I make entirely too many different brutes, and as the title says, I'd like to pick one to focus on and IO out decently. The problem is, I can't decide which one to go with. I'm trying to decide between SS/WP, SS/SD or Claws/SR. I'm looking for a character that is pretty good all-purpose. Basically, I'd like to be fairly good at farming, but not at the expense of having a character that performs rather poorly on maps that don't heavily favor the powerset.
In terms of how much money I can spend on the char, probably about ~500m atm, and I have a miracle already, so that helps. For that amount of money, I should definitely be able to soft cap the defense sets in my list. SS/WP. A very popular brute combo for a reason. I rather like this character, I'm just not sure how much IO investment pays off on WP compared to other secondaries. SS is very nice, although I hate the rage crashes. SS/SD. I don't actually have this char, it's just something I'm considering because of my SS/WP, since SD is a set that can really shine with a lot of IO investment. I'm not sure how much rage crashes would hurt this set though, since even my WP can get beat down pretty quickly from the rage crash -defense (although I think double stacking removes that part?). Claws/SR. Another fun character. SR seems like one of those sets that can become insanely durable with a good investment. The only thing I didn't like about this character is that SR has no taunt aura, which meant I couldn't hold agro very well in groups. This is probably less of an issue at higher levels where everything smaller just dies to aoe's instantly and the bigger stuff should stay on me fairly well with the mini gauntlet effect brutes get. I know I could just play them all, I'm sure they're all fairly good. I'm just asking, if you could pick only one of the 3 for a pretty strong all-round character that really shines with some decent IO investment in it, which would you pick? |
Claws is vastly superior AoE damage. Its possibly the lightest end use brute primary, mine is 22 with stamina 1 slotted with an endmod IO, and I can run one toggle plus combat jumping while attacking indefinitely, if I get enough greens to make up for the lost HP I literally never have to stop. By the time I get my second toggle stamina will be 3 slotted and I might have a few recovery bonuses, so I should be able to run those too.
Followup is vastly superior to rage, you can eventually double stack it for 30% tohit and 60% +damage. There is no crash, and six slotted with Gaussian whatever it recharges in six seconds and has a 17% chance for build up (another 30% tohit and 64% damage). Spin, Evis, and Shockwave are a holy trinity of AoE *** kicking, focus can hit runners at a bit of range, and Focus, strike, slash and followup make a fairly high damage ST chain.
Super reflexes is just golden. With fighting, medicine, and fitness pools SR can survive almost anything, throw in an inspiration tray full of blues and a few purples and you can remove the "almost" part of that.
To me, what I like most about claws is its pure versatility. You have a fully developed attack chain for both AoE and single target, the only single target attack you'll have to use constantly is focus, and thats not because you want it to damage anything. You don't have random requirements like WP's need to keep 10 minions around to fuel RTTC when facing a tough single opponent, you're you're own self contained tornado of destruction.
The only downside is, you're not a tank. You're a scrapper with better damage and the same soft capped defenses everyone playing a melee class goes for if they can get it.
If you like both, level claws/sr first. You'll be rolling in the money you can farm to IO out your SS brute at 25.
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Great post except for those clauses. You aren't a tank or a scrapper; you are a brute! No at= any other at.|
Originally Posted by spiritfox
... you're not a tank. You're a scrapper with better damage...
|
I would go for the SS/SD. I have one at fifty, IOd, softcapped and aside from some mild endurance issues- he is a machine. Well oiled and fairly unstoppable. Of course it takes some investment, but I feel the returns on any such investment are above and beyond what SR offers. Sure, SR has great defense debuff resistance that is capped on SOs I think (or maybe IOs), but SD still has very respectable DDR. Just stack an active defense or two and you will see. I would also vote /SD because the resists are fairly decent. No, you won't be capped, but 30ish resists to s/l dmg paired softcapped positional defenses, you won't be hurt much.
Against All Odds just plain rocks too. You will find yourself dmg buffed beyond your own expectations and SD is great for maintaining aggro. According to a recent post, SD is the choice for aggro craving brutes as it outstrips both inv and stone armor for taunt values.
The crashes suck, but I strongly suspect have never died because of the defense portion. The only thing that has surprised me a couple of times is the -end portion. I was down fairly low on end, crashed, and dropped all of my toggles right after I opened up a new spawn. Not fun haha.
Claws is fantastic, however. Seriously good. Sad part is, I got a claws/inv to about 46 on SOs, then I stopped, rolled a SS/SD, got him to 50, tricked him out and still haven't gone back to the claws user in almost 3 weeks. I miss her and her sharp claw-ey goodness :/ I agree with Roderick on the versatility of claws. The attacks are quick, light, and of course the customization opportunities are much greater. Currently, SS/SD is still bugged and stuck in the classic animation mode. So no ground pound for you just yet.
I vote for the claws/sr and ss/sd. Skip the SS/WP as it isn't as rewarding as the SS/SD, in my eyes.
Words to the wise aren't necessary- it's the stupid ones that need them.
"You're right...I forgot...being constantly at or the near the damage cap is a big turn off. Definitely not worth it."
- Vitality
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While I agree with you on terms of experienced players and IO slotting, I still think that a /WP brute is the overall easiest brute to play. It's impressive without much in terms of IOs, and having the extra regen and recovery built in will help keep toggle dropping to a minimum. WP/SS is the only tank I was ever able to crank up to 50. |
Originally Posted by magikwand
I vote for the claws/sr and ss/sd. Skip the SS/WP as it isn't as rewarding as the SS/SD, in my eyes.
|
SS/SD is a great aggro magnet, and at the soft cap it becomes a melee juggernaut. Stuff just goes flying into the air when you punch it. Very fun brute with good ST and AoE damage.
Claws/SR is easy to soft-cap with the fighting pool and IOs, and has two ranged attacks included in its ST/AoE chains, making it an extremely versatile brute. I've heard reports that it's a bit endurance-thirsty, but I don't have a Claws/SR brute high enough to verify (Mine's lv 18).
In my personal opinion and experience I'd play with:
BattleAxe/ShieldDefense
EnergyMelee/Invulnerability
SuperStrength/SuperReflexes
DualBlades/Willpower
WarMace/StoneArmor
StoneMelee/FieryAura
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I'd kill to be able to make a claws/SD. I wish SD allowed you to pick a "shield aura" like every sci-fi personal shield every concieved and take something like claws or dual blades, but I guess the devs don't think like I do. |
Originally Posted by magikwand
Great post except for those clauses. You aren't a tank or a scrapper; you are a brute! No at= any other at.
I would go for the SS/SD. I have one at fifty, IOd, softcapped and aside from some mild endurance issues- he is a machine. Well oiled and fairly unstoppable. Of course it takes some investment, but I feel the returns on any such investment are above and beyond what SR offers. Sure, SR has great defense debuff resistance that is capped on SOs I think (or maybe IOs), but SD still has very respectable DDR. Just stack an active defense or two and you will see. I would also vote /SD because the resists are fairly decent. No, you won't be capped, but 30ish resists to s/l dmg paired softcapped positional defenses, you won't be hurt much. Against All Odds just plain rocks too. You will find yourself dmg buffed beyond your own expectations and SD is great for maintaining aggro. According to a recent post, SD is the choice for aggro craving brutes as it outstrips both inv and stone armor for taunt values. The crashes suck, but I strongly suspect have never died because of the defense portion. The only thing that has surprised me a couple of times is the -end portion. I was down fairly low on end, crashed, and dropped all of my toggles right after I opened up a new spawn. Not fun haha. Claws is fantastic, however. Seriously good. Sad part is, I got a claws/inv to about 46 on SOs, then I stopped, rolled a SS/SD, got him to 50, tricked him out and still haven't gone back to the claws user in almost 3 weeks. I miss her and her sharp claw-ey goodness :/ I agree with Roderick on the versatility of claws. The attacks are quick, light, and of course the customization opportunities are much greater. Currently, SS/SD is still bugged and stuck in the classic animation mode. So no ground pound for you just yet. I vote for the claws/sr and ss/sd. Skip the SS/WP as it isn't as rewarding as the SS/SD, in my eyes. |
Honestly, I just hate SS. I rolled a SS tanker way, way back, and the low damage of that AT coupled with rage crashes were just insanely frustrating. I'm sure its better on brutes, but I really don't like crashing from an offensive power, even if the set is compeditive including the crash.
I like shield defense, but I've never been able to build a SD build that I liked enough to level past 20. I just can't find a primary I like when paired with it, considering how end intensive it is. I know elec's pretty bad on endurance too, but how is elec single target?
Afaik Elec is the weakest single target damage of any brute primary.
Also I've decided to play my claws/SR again. Not having a taunt aura was the one thing that really bugged me about him, because playing with friends I constantly saw everything just run off to them when I was way more durable. It was rather frustrating to not be able to hold things on me. I didn't realize evasion had a taunt aura built in.
So I make entirely too many different brutes, and as the title says, I'd like to pick one to focus on and IO out decently. The problem is, I can't decide which one to go with. I'm trying to decide between SS/WP, SS/SD or Claws/SR. I'm looking for a character that is pretty good all-purpose. Basically, I'd like to be fairly good at farming, but not at the expense of having a character that performs rather poorly on maps that don't heavily favor the powerset.
In terms of how much money I can spend on the char, probably about ~500m atm, and I have a miracle already, so that helps. For that amount of money, I should definitely be able to soft cap the defense sets in my list.
SS/WP. A very popular brute combo for a reason. I rather like this character, I'm just not sure how much IO investment pays off on WP compared to other secondaries. SS is very nice, although I hate the rage crashes.
SS/SD. I don't actually have this char, it's just something I'm considering because of my SS/WP, since SD is a set that can really shine with a lot of IO investment. I'm not sure how much rage crashes would hurt this set though, since even my WP can get beat down pretty quickly from the rage crash -defense (although I think double stacking removes that part?).
Claws/SR. Another fun character. SR seems like one of those sets that can become insanely durable with a good investment. The only thing I didn't like about this character is that SR has no taunt aura, which meant I couldn't hold agro very well in groups. This is probably less of an issue at higher levels where everything smaller just dies to aoe's instantly and the bigger stuff should stay on me fairly well with the mini gauntlet effect brutes get.
I know I could just play them all, I'm sure they're all fairly good. I'm just asking, if you could pick only one of the 3 for a pretty strong all-round character that really shines with some decent IO investment in it, which would you pick?